Can I apply for a UK European Health Insurance Card (UK EHIC) if I live overseas?  · Customer Self-Service (2024)

FAQs

Can I get an EHIC card if I live in the UK? ›

Check if you're eligible for a UK EHIC

you're a national of the EEA or Switzerland who has legally resided in the UK since before 1 January 2021 and are covered under the Withdrawal Agreement – you may not be covered if you are also a UK national or if you were born in the UK.

You may be eligible for a UK GHIC if you're living in the European Union (EU), Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with a registered S1 form issued by the UK.

Who can benefit from the card? To be eligible for a card, you must be insured by or covered by a state social security system in any Member State of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Each separate member of a family travelling should have their own card.

You should apply for a Student GHIC to get medically necessary, state-provided healthcare for the duration of your study period in Spain, whether this is for part or all of your course. This means that you'll get necessary healthcare services on the same basis as a Spanish citizen either for free or at a reduced cost.

you're living in the European Union (EU), Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, and have been since before 1 January 2021 with a registered S1 form issued by the UK. you're living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, since before 1 January 2021 with an A1 issued by the UK.

Claiming when abroad

If you're going to (or are already living in) a European Economic Area ( EEA ) country or a country with a special agreement with the UK, you may be able to claim: UK-based benefits. benefits provided by the country you're going to.

If a U.S. citizen spends at least 330 full days outside the U.S. during a given calendar year, they are exempt from maintaining ACA compliant health insurance living abroad. This means you can have health insurance while living abroad that is not PPACA compliant.

You can live abroad and still be a UK resident for tax, for example if you visit the UK for more than 183 days in a tax year. Pay tax on your income and profits from selling assets (such as shares) in the normal way. You usually have to pay tax on your income from outside the UK as well.

If you have been living abroad, you pass the ordinarily resident test on resuming settled residence here and are immediately entitled to free NHS non-emergency hospital care. If you take regular prescription medication, bring sufficient supplies to last until you can register with a GP in the UK.

Healthcare for visitors to the USA

An EHIC or GHIC card will not cover you in America because this is a reciprocal agreement the UK has only with other European countries.

Do US citizens need health insurance in Europe? ›

Travel insurance isn't required to visit Europe if you're an American citizen. However, some travelers are required to obtain a Schengen visa and medical travel insurance if they plan to visit any countries that are part of the Schengen Agreement, or stay in the area for more than 90 days.

If you have health insurance in an EU country, you can ask your insurer for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), free of charge. Sometimes you can find it on the back side of your national insurance card. The card is proof that you are insured in an EU country.

If you're eligible, you'll receive a card that can be used to get cover for emergency treatment abroad. This will be either a: UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) UK European Health Insurance Card (new UK EHIC), if you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

If you live in an EU country or Switzerland, you may also be eligible to apply for an S1 form for entitlement to state healthcare paid for by the UK once you begin to draw a UK State Pension. You will not be covered for healthcare paid for by the UK if you're going to live permanently outside the EU and Switzerland.

If you're moving abroad on a permanent basis, you'll no longer automatically be entitled to medical treatment under normal NHS rules. This is because the NHS is a residence-based healthcare system. You'll have to notify your GP practice so you and your family can be removed from the NHS register.

Existing EHIC cards will continue to be valid until their expiry date, after which UK residents should apply for a replacement GHIC card. Information on the new GHIC and how you can apply can be found here.

For those resident in the UK after 30 June 2021, you must have applied to the EU Settlement Scheme to maintain your entitlement to free NHS healthcare. You will only be entitled to free NHS healthcare if you have been granted settled or pre-settled status, or on proof of application, where a decision is still pending.